Toilets are reasonably simple home appliances that can be frustrating when they break or get clogged. Over time there are parts on a toilet that can quickly wear out and become broken. If you know what to look for, you can save yourself time and money and complete the repairs yourself. Any time you have to call a plumber, it can be costly, especially compared to repairing yourself.
“As a plumber, we come across as sorts of plumbing issues when it comes to toilets. Some are easy fixes that most homeowners can perform themselves by buying the correct parts and watching a few YouTube videos if they want to save money,” explains Billy Henley, Vice President of BHI Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.
Drain Cleaning Needed
Often we come across a toilet in good working condition. The mechanical parts are all in good working order; however, the drain itself needs to be cleaned. Over some time, your drain pipes in your home become corroded, and buildup becomes more and more. When this happens, you will start to notice that everything drains slower. Sure, it eventually drains, but it is noticeably quieter.
How to Fix: Running a plumber snake down the drain will help clear blockages but doesn’t do much for pipe buildup. The recommended drain cleaning services are to run a jetter to help clean the drains.
Not Enough Water
Most toilets have a mark on the inside of where the water level should be. If the water in the tank isn’t reaching this level, then the toilet isn’t going to work correctly and provide enough flushing power.
How to Fix: You can adjust the float level in the toilet tank to ensure the water is meeting the recommended height. If, for some reason this isn’t happening, you may need to replace the float kit for your toilet.
Defective or Worn Out Lift Chain/Flapper
Probably one of the biggest problems we see with toilets are worn out flappers, or the lift chain isn’t working. When a flapper wears out, this can cause water from the tank to slowly leak into the toilet. When this happens, it reduces the flushing power. Additionally, it will cause you to wastewater as the tank will keep replenishing the water that is leaked. This can be annoying and costly as it will increase your utility bill.
How to Fix: It is recommended to replace your flapper or lift chain. These are relatively inexpensive parts to replace on a toilet. If you feel more comfortable having a plumber fix the problem, it may cost more, but you can rest assured that the job will be done correctly.
Bonus Tip: Your toilet should have angle stops that feed the water supply into your toilet. These angle stops are used when you need to shut off the water supply to that specific toilet. Angle stops wear out as well, and that can be a huge problem when your toilet is broken or won’t stop running. You will want to check your angle stops every year to ensure they are in good working order.